Looking Back

Today was a busy day. I met with Kathleen at Cosmix. We had a great meeting. I also met some of the students that I will be teaching next week. I will teach Monday, Tuesday and Thursday plus a couple more days at the end of the month. I also have to work on the syllabus this weekend. In addition, I am working on creating a Manuel for the film and television class. I am excited about that because these are some of the things that I really enjoy doing.

After meeting with Kathleen, I went to pick up my son at school. I was a few minutes late picking him up. I then came home and immediately started dinner which involved a quick preparation of pasta and chicken because my husband had his friend and his wife stop by for dinner before making the three hour trip back to Orlando tonight. Now with the kitchen cleaned up, I can sit and focus on me.

You know, the life of a makeup artist in film is such an exciting and rewarding career but I don't feel that it is conducive to raising a family; it is a big juggle. As much as I loved and enjoyed it,I couldn't juggle anymore. My priorities changed, the older my kid became. Once your child starts to develop your priorities shift to accommodate their growth. I look at my son and if my husband and I didn't move at the time we did (from Los Angeles to Florida) we would have to wait until our son graduates from college. It would have been very difficult on all of us trying to move my son at this stage of his life. Sometimes you don't know if you are making the right decision or not but when I look at his growth and development, I don't have to second guess myself; this was the best decision. So many people have asked me if I miss working on the set. I did a few things but I don't miss the hours. Yes I miss the money but not the hours and some of the BS that goes on. I do enjoy teaching and watching the light bulb go off when students get it.

One of the things that constantly goes through my mind is figuring out how to keep up with the constant reinvention of oneself once you hit a certain age. I will soon turn 51 and I listen to many of my friends, and for so many of them they are just not happy. they are like flotsam floating in the sea of life. they do not enjoy life. Life is short and not promised to us. so we have to be able to go with the flow. in this industry because we are basically unemployed after every job, we tend not to take vacations because this industry preaches feast or famine so we take every job offered because we are afraid we don't know when the next one is coming. It is just a vicious cycle. So what do makeup artist like myself do.

I worked many years Union artist to lose my industry roster standing because
I didn't work x number of days; basically according to our union president contract services penalized us for being a mothers who wanted to have a hand in raising our children. Oh well c'est la vie. We have to learn how to continuously reinvent ourselves. reevaluate our skills and talents and try hard to branch out into other areas to create a living. They are several things that I have started to work on . I must I am always busy sometimes too busy. The school's fundraiser school book plus my memoirs as well as writing this manuel for film and television; I would say that i am pretty busy. I now have to find a way to turn that busy into a salary and residual income; that's really the key to our industry is learning how to create residual income. what is residual income...it's doing something that will bring you money even when you stop doing it.. so makeup artists like myself should focus on creating residual income .

I think I am going to sign off now. tomorrow I have to prepare for the parent meeting and try to encourage these parents to participate in the upcoming fundraiser kermesse.